


In which Hades has another of his want to know my son moments

by klainederful



Category: The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Declarations Of Love, Fluff, Hades wants to meet Will, M/M, adorable boyfriends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-28
Updated: 2015-03-28
Packaged: 2018-03-20 02:31:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,759
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3633381
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/klainederful/pseuds/klainederful
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>Finally, Hades sighed and met his eyes. “I talked to Aphrodite recently…she told me some interesting things. About you and a certain son of Apollo. Will, I believe?”</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	In which Hades has another of his want to know my son moments

_“Hades isn’t the greatest dad, but occasionally he has these want to know my son moments.”_ – Nico, the Blood of Olympus

 

 

Nico was putting on a clean t-shirt when the sound of someone clearing his throat came from behind him. He turned around, tugging the shirt down across his chest, as a figure in a black robe emerged from the shadows.

“Father?”

“Hello, son.” Hades looked around the room, arching an eyebrow at the coffin-like beds and the black velvet drapes covering the windows. “Nice décor.”

Nico grimaced. Whoever had decorated his cabin clearly thought that Hades’ children had sharp fangs and caught fire if exposed to sunlight. “I’ve been meaning to redecorate for a while, but-”

“You’ve been pretty busy,” His father finished for him, nodding. “So I’ve been told.”

Nico blinked. “Who told you what, exactly?”

Hades fell silent, brow furrowed. He looked like he wanted to say something, but didn’t know how. That behavior was so unusual for the god of the dead, Nico started to worry.

“Is something wrong?” He asked tentatively. “Why are you here? Please, tell me you don’t need us to save the world _again_.”

_I can’t leave for a quest, not now that I’m finally starting to feel at home here. Not now that I have someone._

“I don’t need anything from you or your friends,” Hades replied, waving a hand dismissively. Nico waited for him to elaborate, but he hesitated again, his dark eyes shifting from the wall to his face and back again. He looked…embarrassed. Nico felt the sudden urge to bolt out of the cabin and run to the bonfire, where Will was waiting for him. A single smile from him would have melted away all the awkwardness and worry he was feeling right now.

Finally, Hades sighed and met his eyes. “I talked to Aphrodite recently…she told me some interesting things. About you and a certain son of Apollo. Will, I believe?”

For a moment, Nico just stared at him, unable to process his father’s words. Then he started to shake his head, his cheeks warmer by the second.

“No. _Oh, no_. This is one of your _I want to get to know my son and be a good father to him_ moments, isn’t it? No. We’re not having this conversation.”

He deeply regretted not running away before.

Hades sighed, but his expression was determined now. “Yes, we are. Aphrodite told me he’s older than you. Does he…does he _treat you right_?”

Nico whined and hid his face behind his hands. “Don’t you gods have better things to do than gossiping about your children’s love lives?”

“I don’t _gossip_ ,” Hades said, affronted. “I just like to keep informed.”

Nico lowered his hands at that, even if he knew his face was as red as the silk blankets of the beds.

Despite the awkwardness of the whole situation, he felt an unexpected warmth in his chest at the thought that Hades, _his father_ , the god of the dead, cared enough about him to keep informed about his life and come ask him embarrassing questions.

_Like a real parent._

Hades crossed his arms over his robe. “I want to meet him.”

_Oh gods._

Nico stared at his father, his pale face and black hair, so similar to his own, his regal black robe and the ribbons of darkness swirling around his legs. He couldn’t even imagine him meeting his cheerful, bright Will, who seemed to bring light with him everywhere. He didn’t even know if Will _wanted_ to meet his father. Probably not. _Surely_ not. Who would want to meet the god of the dead?

“Why?” He asked in a panicked voice, still busy thinking about Will’s reaction. Would meeting his father scare him away? Would he finally realize Nico wasn’t right for him, that he was death and darkness, while Will was life and light? Nico didn’t want to lose him. He didn’t know if he could stand to.

Hades seemed confused by his question. “Isn’t it what mortal parents do when their kids get boyfriends? Meet them?”

“Yeah, but…”

A knock on the door made Nico jump and Hades turn his head.

“Di Angelo, are you still in there? You’re missing the bonfire!”

Nico’s heart skipped a beat. _Solace, you have the worst. Timing. Ever._

“Just a moment!” He called, but his voice came out shaky and too high. There was a moment of silence, then: “Are you okay? Can I come in?”

Stupid perceptive and caring boyfriend.

His father was looking at him expectantly, and Nico swallowed. He _could_ say no to Hades, but he couldn’t stop him from materializing right in front of Will and scare him to death if he wanted.

Or opening the door, like he was about to do.

“Wait!” Nico hissed, but before his father could reach it,  Will opened the door from the outside and peered inside, his messy blond hair reflecting the faint light of the candle-shaped lamps in the cabin.

“Hey, Death Boy! The door wasn’t locked.”

Hades raised an eyebrow, his thin lips mouthing silently _Death Boy_. Nico blushed furiously and tugged Will inside by one arm. He had changed his mind, his boyfriend deserved to get scared to death.

“Will, there’s someone here who wants to talk to you.” He said, trying to push down all the anxiety he felt. Will wouldn’t _leave_ him. He already knew he was the son of Hades, he had seen him summon Jules-Albert and disappear into the shadows, he knew everything about what had happened with Bryce during his quest with Reyna. Meeting his father wasn’t going to change how he felt about him. He needed to trust him.

When Will noticed Hades he stiffened for a moment, surprised, but when the god offered his hand, he promptly shook it.

“I’m Nico’s father.” Hades said unnecessarily, and Nico realized with a start that he was trying to behave like a mortal parent. Once again, he felt a strange warmth, almost a feeling of fondness.

Will gave Hades a bright smile. “Will Solace, sir. It’s nice to meet you,” he replied, and managed to sound like he really meant it. Knowing Will, he probably did.

Hades looked at Will for a moment, taking in his messy blond hair, his neon green shirt and his worn converse with a colorful floral pattern, then wrinkled his forehead. Nico shared his confusion: Hades usually frightened everybody, but Will was calm and smiling like he met deadly gods whom sons he was dating every day.

“I’ve been told you’re head of the Apollo cabin and the most talented healer here at camp.” Hades said.

Will looked embarrassed for the first time. He rubbed the back of his head, messing his hair even more. “I don’t know about _most talented_ …”

“He is.” Nico cut him off. “He’s the one who took care of my uhm… _fading_ problem when I came back from the last quest.”

Hades looked pleased, and the small tug Nico felt at his heart made him realize that he wanted is father to like Will. He didn’t need Hades’ approval, but he wanted him to know how kind, talented and amazing his boyfriend was.

“And without him, many more demigods would have died during the battle against Kronos.”

Hades raised a dark eyebrow at Will, a dangerous glint in his eyes. “So you’re the one I have to thank for the lack of fresh demigod souls in my realm.”

Will’s blue eyes widened. “Oh, uh…I…yes? I mean…” He mumbled uncertainly, looking at Nico for guidance. Nico grimaced and shook his head, a feeling of panic rising in his throat.

Was Will finally going to run away screaming? And why was Hades looking at Will like he was trying to set him on fire with the mere force of his gaze? He couldn’t do that, could he?

Nico was considering grabbing Will’s arm and shadow-travel them both away from that situation, when his father did something he had never seen him do before. He laughed.

It wasn’t a full, loud laugh like Will’s, long and cheerful, but a low, sharp sound that ended as abruptly as it had started. It was then that Nico realized his father had attempted to make a joke of some sort.

“Relax, boy, I’m not going to pulverize you on the spot for helping your friends. I just want to ask you, how a human father would say…”

Nico squeezed his eyes shut. _Please, please, please, don’t say “what are your intentions with my son”._

“What are your intentions with my son?” Hades finished, making Nico groan and roll his eyes.

“Father!” He protested, but Hades’ attention was focused on Will, who held his gaze, his expression uncharacteristically serious. He pushed his blond hair back and took a deep breath. Nico found he couldn’t look away.

“Sir, your son is stubborn beyond belief, unfriendly and with a tendency to sulk,” He began. Nico would have felt offended if not for the slow smile that was now spreading across Will’s face. “He always thinks nobody wants him around, he thinks he’s not _good enough_ for people to notice or care about him. But he’s so, so wrong. People do notice him, they do care about him. _I_ care about him. He thinks he belongs in the dark, but I will chase away his shadows and drag him into the light again and again, until he’ll understand that he belongs there. With me.” He looked at Nico, his voice barely a whisper now, his intense expression making Nico’s breath itch in his throat.  “Because I love him.”

“Wait, what?” Nico asked in a small voice, blinking rapidly. He couldn’t have heard that right.

Will took his hands, pulling him closer to himself. As he looked down at Nico, his long bangs covered his eyes, so Nico freed one hand to push them away from his face.

Will’s clear blue eyes where filled with tenderness when he replied: “I said I love you, Nico di Angelo. I love you.”

This time, no amount of blinking could have held back the tears that spilled from Nico’s eyes. The skeletal butterflies in his stomach, that always went crazy whenever Will was involved, had probably had a collective heart attack.

“Will,” Nico smiled, the salty taste of his own tears filling his mouth. “I-” His voice cracked. He wanted to tell Will so much, but he was too used to keeping his feelings to himself and the words got stuck in his throat. He gritted his teeth, frustration and anger swelling in his chest. Will deserved an answer, deserved to know that he felt the same way. But the words refused to come. “I-”, he tried again, but Will shook his head and wiped away his tears, his hands warm on Nico’s face. “Don’t cry. It’s okay.”

He leaned towards Nico, their foreheads touching, when a small cough made them both jump. Right, Hades. Nico had forgotten about him for a second.

 He was watching them, arms crossed over his chest, his expression unreadable.

“Uhm,” Will said sheepishly, stuffing his hands in his pockets. “Sorry. I’m not in the habit of making him cry, I promise.”

“I certainly hope not.” A corner of Hades’ mouth lifted slightly. He kept staring at Will for a few more seconds, enough to make him squirm uncomfortably, then spoke again: “Well, that was a very satisfying answer, young man. I guess I can’t drag you to the Underworld with me  just yet.”

“Father, stop threatening him.” Nico rolled his eyes. “It’s not like I can’t kick his ass myself if I need to.”

Will was about to reply, when Hades came forward and put a hand on Nico’s shoulder, his cold touch sending a shiver down his son’s body.

“Son, I told you once I would have liked to see one of my children happy for a change, and it’s obvious you are now. I’m glad.”

Nico glanced at Will, smiling happily at his side, then at his father, who had come all the way to camp Half-Blood just to check on him and meet his boyfriend. He smiled, too.

“Thank you, father.”  He said, and he really meant it.

Hades squeezed his shoulder, nodded at Will and then he was gone without another word. Nico stared into the shadows until he felt Will hugging him from behind, resting his chin on top of his head.

“Well, that was interesting.”

“Yeah.” Nico turned around, still surrounded by Will’s arms. He had to bend his neck to look him in the eyes.

“You handled the whole ‘first meeting with the boyfriend’s father, who is also the god of the dead and could probably incinerate you in an instant’ thing very well.”

Will grimaced. “I did, if you don’t mind your dumb boyfriend telling you he loves you for the first time in front of your dad.” He cupped the back of Nico’s head to play with the short hair there. “I’m sorry, I didn’t want to just blurt it out like that. I had this whole romantic date planned, and this awesome speech, and there were supposed to be _candles_ , and-”

Nico shook his head and hugged him tight, hiding his face in Will’s neon green shirt.

The skeletal butterflies in his stomach had apparently recovered and were now flying all over the place. “Stop apologizing, it was perfect. Thank you.”

Will just hummed and rubbed his hands across Nico’s back, sending pleasant little shocks down his spine. When Nico pulled away, his cheeks felt warm. The words from before were still there in his throat, making it tight. He needed to let them out.

“Tell me again?”

Will raised his eyebrows and gave him a teasing smile. “What?”

Nico slapped his chest lightly, a shy smile on his lips. “You know what.”

Will took a deep breath and caressed Nico’s cheek slowly, his eyes locked into his boyfriend’s darker ones. “I love you.”

Even though Nico knew they were coming, Will’s words left him breathless all over again. This time, however, he had no intention of letting anything stop him from saying them back.

He didn’t need to hide anymore, to pretend not to feel anything. He could do this.

“Will, when I’m with you, I don’t want to disappear,” he began, covering Will’s hand with his own. “I want to spend all of my time enveloped in your light, because you make me feel happier than I ever thought I could be. I love you, too.”

Will’s smile was so bright, he could have given the sun a run for its money. He opened his mouth to speak, but Nico wasn’t done yet. With a sudden movement, he grabbed the nape of Will’s neck with one hand and his t-shirt with the other, and pulled him down for a long, deep kiss. When they finally broke apart, their foreheads pressed together, they couldn’t stop smiling.

“Come on, Death Boy, let’s go.” Will said at last, grabbing Nico’s hand and leading him out of the cabin. “You should eat something.”

Nico closed the door behind them, muttering: “Stop calling me that, you idiot. I can’t believe my _father_ heard that dumb nickname.”

Will just laughed.

When they reached the bonfire, they heard someone shout “look who’s finally joining us!” – probably Leo, and someone whistle loudly – probably Percy. Nico felt his cheeks burn and tried to smooth down his hair and straighten his t-shirt, but that only prompted more teasing from his friends. Connor Stoll winked at him, while his brother Travis high-fived Will, who didn’t look half as flustered as Nico.

“I hate you all,” he complained, taking a seat close to the fire next to Piper. She opened her mouth to say something, but Nico held his hand up.

“Not. Another. Word.”

She smiled sweetly at him, the beads on her braid reflecting the orange flames of the fire. “You just look really happy.”

Nico looked around. Percy  was taking a bite off Jason’s pizza while the boy was facing the other way, talking to Annabeth; a few steps away Leo was dancing with Calypso, even though he looked more like he was having a seizure. He finally spotted Will, who seemed to be joking about something with one of his brothers. He was waving his hands around while he talked, full on enthusiasm like always, and Nico’s heart almost burst with all the love he felt for him.

He smiled. “I am.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! (◡‿◡✿)  
> If you want, you can find me [here](http://klainederful.tumblr.com/) on Tumblr.


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